T5s Q&A

Let's give this a good old bump

 

OMG, that was one long thread. lol. But alot of useful info for a noob like me. I never new that lighting was that important.

So hear is my question. I am starting my first salt water tank. It is 40 Gal glass breeder tank 36"W x 17"H x 18"L. I want to do mostly soft corals, Inverts, and a few fish. Maybe eventually get some hard corals. I have been looking into getting the Nova Extreme T5 setup with the 4x39w bulbs. But it was recommended to me to just spend the extra hundred and get the extreme pro with 3x10k/3x460nm bulbs. But is the extreme pro going to provide to much light? My tank is rather shallow. Just seems thats alot of wattage to throw at 17"s of water. But then again it is 18"s long so the 4 bulb set up might not hit the whole tank. what do you guys think? any other recommendations would be helpful P.S. I am trying to stay as low cost as possible.

 

I would do a Tek 36" 4 bulb or if you are feeling up to it an Aquactinics TX5... Neither will be too much light and if you feel it is you can always hang them over the tank and raise them up more if needed.
Breeder tanks are a fantastic tank, the height lets you maximize your light penetration but the depth allows you to aquascape nicely.
You are better off in my eyes getting one of the two lights I recommended over the Extreme 6 bulb, which isn't all that great of a light and the 6 bulb will be overkill in that tank. I WOULD on the otherhand plan ahead that you will want more light intensive corals down the road. I once was an LPS man all the way thinking that SPS were over kept and boring. Well I now have a SPS dominated tank now......
Get the Tek or TX5 buy the hanging kit, and some good bulbs and you will be able to keep whatever you want!

Happy lighting!

 

Ok I just got my uvl 12000k 50/50 bulb, it didn't make it more blue it made it more yellow, the bulb burns pink. so I put my 10000k back in and put the 12000 in place of the 420nm attinic. I don't know I don't think I like this uvl bulb that much. so the way it is now I have
2 10000k and 1 460nm, 1 12000k 50/50 bulb. tank looks yellow now.

 

What do u think of this light i just found on ebay
36'' Metal Halide 250 T5 HO Aquarium Light Brand New - eBay (item 180332228637 end time Mar-05-09 07:35:39 PST)

Those lights You suggested look really nice Dr, but a bit pricey for me.

 

I have two of these bulbs and I don't think they look pink at all. They produce a white/blue light if anything. With your current setup it will look more yellow, you dont' have much blue wavelength. Did you try two actinics and the two White actinics?

 

Giesemann Aquablue+...... instead of UVL 12000k if you don't like it. The blue+ will add a crisp white/with a hint of blue.

Happy lighting!

 

Never seen that brand or heard of it... Now that I think of it I didn't even see a brand.... It always worries me spending a decent amount of money on something that I have never heard of or seen any reviews of... Do so with caution Infantry, it could be great or it could be a dud, many times they are duds.. I didn't catch the brands of the bulbs either, was it listed? The thing with this MH fixture is there will be points that will be stronger illuminated than T5 but T5 overall has better coverage, less shade and places for you to hide lower light coral....

Good luck with the fixture and let us all know how it is!!
Happy lighting!

 

I mean when you look at the bulb when its on its pink, I'll take a pick maybe they sent me the wrong bulb.

 

I know Coralife's Colormax bulbs look pink... What does the bulb say on it? It COULD be a mispick bulb, stranger things have happened...

Happy lighting!